Boat sinks three miles offshore; All rescued safely

By Scott HarperSouth Strand News

Sunday, July 6, 2014

What started out as a Sunday morning fishing trip ended with eight people being rescued from the ocean three miles offshore from Murrells Inlet.According to Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire Rescue Capt. Rodney Jewett, his department received a call about a sinking boat near Paradise Reef at about 9 a.m. Sunday. Members of his department as well as the United States Coast Guard and the Sheriff's Office boat team responded.

With help from a good Samaritan and a parasailing team, all eight people who had been in the 25-30 foot water for about an hour were rescued. Two people, one a juvenile, were taken to the hospital to be checked out but no one sustained any serious injuries, Jewett said.He said the situation would likely have been much worse but everyone who was aboard the 30-foot boat was able to get into their life jackets before the vessel sank."The life jackets saved their lives," Jewett said.

He said the boaters had been fishing all morning and were getting ready to anchor when they saw the back of the boat was sinking.One of the passengers was able to get a signal on a cell phone and place a call to 911."The dispatcher was having a hard time hearing the caller but was able to make out enough to know where they were," Jewett said. "We were told the boat sank very quickly."

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